Use, Yes. Steal, No.

September 02, 2009

Air Quotes: Me, Myself, and I

I don't care if the kid wins the whole thing or not. I just don't want her losing because then there would be no more awesome pressers. And the kid gives good presser.

Q. How did you feel when you looked over at your coach at times
in the match presumably for support, and he had very negative body
language?DINARA SAFINA: Well, I guess I had to think what I'm doing wrong that he's so negative. (laughter.)

Q. Do you respond more to a negative approach or a positive?DINARA SAFINA: We'll skip this answer.

...

Q. You've talked about it being a dream of yours for a long time to
be the No. 1 player in the world, which you are, and also a dream to
win a Grand Slam. What did you think about both of those things as this
match was maybe, say, in the second set?DINARA SAFINA: Well, if
I would lose a match, it would be I lost to myself, you know. It's me,
myself, and I playing on the court. (laughter.)

...

Q. Some other players and your countrywomen, Svetlana or Myskina
have won Grand Slams, but not achieved as much as you have in the
rankings. How do you rationalize that, or how do you feel about that,
that discrepancy?DINARA SAFINA: Well, I mean, Sveta was No. 2
in the world, and last year was also No. 2 in the world. They were
close to get to No. 1.I don't know. Now that I'm No. 1, I want a
Grand Slam. There is no doubt for me. Like this is what is missing for
me. I would like to win. But I don't want to say like it has to
happen. I know that I will work until the end of my career hard. When
it's going to happen, I don't know. But I'm sure it will happen,
because I've been very close to winning. I been in the three finals, so
just one step. Sooner or later, I will have to make it.

...

Q. A lot of observers say that sometimes when a player has a really
tough scare, when she's almost out of the tournament, sometimes that
helps the player go on. Do you think that could be the case in this
tournament?DINARA SAFINA: I would take it like this, yeah. (laughter.)Because
in the French Open, I won all the matches 6 Love, 61. Did it help? Not
really. So I mean, definitely it happens like this, like you pull the
match somehow, like God knows. Like, I mean, God knows how I pulled it
out. Not me. (laughter.)

...

Q. Do you have any advice from your brother inside your head?DINARA SAFINA: No. Sometimes it's not easy to understand him. (laughter.)

Comments

Air Quotes: Me, Myself, and I

I don't care if the kid wins the whole thing or not. I just don't want her losing because then there would be no more awesome pressers. And the kid gives good presser.

Q. How did you feel when you looked over at your coach at times
in the match presumably for support, and he had very negative body
language?DINARA SAFINA: Well, I guess I had to think what I'm doing wrong that he's so negative. (laughter.)

Q. Do you respond more to a negative approach or a positive?DINARA SAFINA: We'll skip this answer.

...

Q. You've talked about it being a dream of yours for a long time to
be the No. 1 player in the world, which you are, and also a dream to
win a Grand Slam. What did you think about both of those things as this
match was maybe, say, in the second set?DINARA SAFINA: Well, if
I would lose a match, it would be I lost to myself, you know. It's me,
myself, and I playing on the court. (laughter.)

...

Q. Some other players and your countrywomen, Svetlana or Myskina
have won Grand Slams, but not achieved as much as you have in the
rankings. How do you rationalize that, or how do you feel about that,
that discrepancy?DINARA SAFINA: Well, I mean, Sveta was No. 2
in the world, and last year was also No. 2 in the world. They were
close to get to No. 1.I don't know. Now that I'm No. 1, I want a
Grand Slam. There is no doubt for me. Like this is what is missing for
me. I would like to win. But I don't want to say like it has to
happen. I know that I will work until the end of my career hard. When
it's going to happen, I don't know. But I'm sure it will happen,
because I've been very close to winning. I been in the three finals, so
just one step. Sooner or later, I will have to make it.

...

Q. A lot of observers say that sometimes when a player has a really
tough scare, when she's almost out of the tournament, sometimes that
helps the player go on. Do you think that could be the case in this
tournament?DINARA SAFINA: I would take it like this, yeah. (laughter.)Because
in the French Open, I won all the matches 6 Love, 61. Did it help? Not
really. So I mean, definitely it happens like this, like you pull the
match somehow, like God knows. Like, I mean, God knows how I pulled it
out. Not me. (laughter.)

...

Q. Do you have any advice from your brother inside your head?DINARA SAFINA: No. Sometimes it's not easy to understand him. (laughter.)